


Mother's Day

by Schadenfreudessa



Series: Unmitigated Fluff [3]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Kid Fic, M/M, Past Drug Use, hot dads
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-25
Updated: 2014-06-26
Packaged: 2018-02-06 05:04:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1845337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Schadenfreudessa/pseuds/Schadenfreudessa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony and Loki's relationship is weird. They don't talk about that first night; they don't really talk at all.<br/>But when someone from the past poses a threat to everything they both have come to enjoy, neither of them will back down easily.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The sleepovers become a regular event at Stark Tower. Almost every weekend sees Loki and Fenrir joining the little Stark family for games, junk food, and the occasional movie. It is almost perfect for Tony’s schedule; he has Pepper come in once the kids have run off to play with Loki supervising, and all the week’s paperwork gets done without Tony having to worry that Ellie will interrupt in boredom. Pepper loves it, Fenrir and Ellie love it, and Loki just goes along with it, seeming ambivalent at best.

Tony’s even extended the party invites to Loki’s brother, Thor, and all his family. It seems only right since it was Thor’s interference that started this whole thing. The Borsons don’t always make it, but they come over often enough for Tony to actually learn all their names. The three that had showed up to the field trip turn out to be triplets – Bailey and Brandon, the boys, and Svana, the girl of the group. Despite knowing their names, though, Tony still can’t tell them apart.

Jane, Thor’s wife and the triplets’ mother, comes over a few times as well, though that was mostly at Loki’s insistence. It turns out to be perfect, as she’s a well-respected astrophysicist, and Ellie goes wide-eyed the moment Jane is introduced as such. Ellie recruits Jane to help them work on the simulator’s programming, and they end up with a simulation that mimics travelling through a wormhole. Jane only comes over a few times, though, as she’s pregnant again, much to her dismay, and likes the downtime when their house is ready to rest.

Once, Tony even takes all of them out on the town, hitting up the L’Atelier De Joel Robuchon at the Four Seasons. The children all enjoy themselves, coloring away and laughing as they play with the free Beany Babies given to them by the staff. Thor and Loki take the ritzy atmosphere in stride, not looking out of place at all, but Jane is almost squirming in discomfort. It takes a while for her to settle in, and it isn’t until Tony starts asking about her recent work that she really lets go. The whole night is phenomenal, and with the exception of a few paparazzi waiting for the group to leave, there are no complaints whatsoever.

Tony finds himself enjoying the company more than he ever expected. The penthouse apartment has never felt quite so lived in, and now Tony has a small network of people that he can rely upon to watch or help with Ellie when something comes up. When an emergency business meeting in California calls Tony away in the middle of the week, Loki can take care of Ellie for those few days, and Tony doesn’t have to worry. He knows Loki is a good dad, and he’s more than capable of watching her for a while.

Things between Tony and Loki are a little stiff, though, aren’t nearly as good. There hasn’t been a repeat of that first night and their little fling. Loki seems absolutely uninterested even in making conversation, and they have fallen into a pattern of slightly uncomfortable silences or sly insults. It’s not terrible, and it’s certainly better than their original meeting and the blatant hostility that radiated off of Loki, but Tony doesn’t really care for it. He actually likes the guy, and how clever he is or how he smiles around the children.

At the very least, Tony would like to think they’re casual friends.

Loki doesn’t seem to agree, though, so things keep on for the rest of the school year in the same manner of sleepovers, slightly acerbic banter, and play time with the kids. With summer coming up soon, Tony has a whole new set of worries; normally, he and Ellie spend the summer in Malibu, but that means no time spent with Fenrir or the triplets for months. It would be cruel to take Ellie away from her friends for the three months of summer vacation, but he needs the time in California for business – multiple board meetings, going over the past year, preparing for the next year, and touching base with the many divisions in Research and Development. There is at least two months’ worth of work that is waiting for him, but that is far too long to ask Loki or Jane and Thor to watch Ellie. He spends most of April puzzling over an answer with little success, but then something far more shocking diverts his attention.

Loki cancels.

It comes out of nowhere, just a phone call Saturday morning from Loki where he briefly states that he and Fenrir will be unable to spend the night. Then, he hangs up with no time for Tony to question him at all, leaving the engineer frowning at nothing. It’s disappointing for sure, and Ellie mirrors that unhappiness when Tony lets her know. To himself, Tony can’t help but worry that something has happened in Loki’s life – the younger man’s position as a single father is precarious – or that he has done something to ruin their acquaintanceship.

“But why?” Ellie questions, and Tony just has to shake his head. He doesn’t know.

 

* * *

 

Fenrir provides no answers either, when Ellie comes home Monday afternoon. She frowns, arms folded across her chest and sitting on the couch, “He says his dad just said they weren’t gonna come over that weekend”.

“Well, you can tell him he’s invited over this weekend too”, Tony tries, but Ellie continues to stare across the room in displeasure. “If his dad is busy, Fenrir can just come himself. I can have Happy swing by and pick him up”.

“I’ll tell him”, Ellie sighs, arms unfolding so her hands can fall to her lap. She picks at her tights for a moment, kicking her feet a little, but staying silent. Tony watches her from the corner of his eye, pretending to be looking at her homework. Ellie’s face is hidden behind her hair when she finally speaks again. “What if Mr. Ulfson says no?”

“I’ll invite Thor and Jane’s family, too, that way he can’t”, he offers, and Tony sighs inwardly when she nods, perking back up to talk about her latest discoveries.

 

* * *

 

 

Saturday finally comes around again, and this time, Fenrir steps off the private elevator with his cousins in a rush to reach the game room, Thor following them out with a very pregnant Jane on his arm. Tony immediately takes her other arm as he sees how she’s struggling, and they get her down the stairs and to the couch, where she collapses with a sigh and a grateful smile. Thor takes a seat beside her, and Tony sits to the side so he can see them both. The children have already started to shout from the other room about what game to play first.

“Wow, you’ve really expanded”, is the first thing out of Tony’s genius mouth. Jane glares, but Tony only responds with a cheeky grin, completely unabashed.

“Thank you, Mr. Stark”, she returns with a sigh, knowing well enough that he won’t back down. “That’s exactly what every pregnant woman wants to hear”.

“I’m not saying you look bad”, Tony tries to defend over Thor’s amused snort. “Just that you’re bigger than I would have expected”.

The corner of Jane’s mouth curls, a wry smile pulling across her face. “You aren’t wrong”, she admits, “I’m quite a bit bigger than a woman carrying one baby to term”. There’s a slow moment before realization sets in for Tony, but a quick glance over to the smile and look of pride on Thor’s face confirms it.

“How many this time?” the engineer questions, leaning back in his seat. “Are you looking to outdo Octomom?”

“Just twins, thank the stars”, Jane laughs. “After this, we’re finished, even if it means getting that one fixed”. She jerks her thumb at Thor, who feigns a look of utter horror just to make Tony laugh loudly. It works, and Tony has to turn away just to catch his breath. Jane looks pleased too, a hand resting atop her rounded belly in contentment.

A little part of Tony twinges with sadness, feeling the loss of something he never got to experience, a missing part of his own role as a father. The doting smile that sits on Thor’s face only makes the loss hurt more, vibrating in his gut before he pushes that from his mind. “I’ve got to say, I’m surprised you showed up today – thought you would prefer a day to yourself”.

“I will be having the day to myself’, Jane smirks. “But I’m going to having it in that whirlpool bath in your guest room”.

“I knew you only liked me for my money”.

“You’re wrong there, Mr. Stark”, Jane retorts, struggling up to her feet and waving away the hand Thor offers to help. “I don’t even really like you, money or not”. Tony chokes on a laugh, shaking his head with a smile as Jane walks off further into the penthouse, probably to do just as she said and spend the day in the bath.

Thor watches with affection as his wife walks away, and Tony lets his chuckles fade into silence. Now would be the perfect time to bring up the man’s errant brother, maybe get some information on what actually happened to their family, or just something personal about Loki. This is the first chance he has ever had to speak privately with Thor, after all. The other man beats him to it, though.

“I would ask something of you, if it is not too much, Tony”, Thor begins, turning the full weight of his gaze onto the engineer as all the warmth bleeds from his expression. All that’s left is something desperate and much older than Tony can know that hides behind narrowed eyes and lips pressed thin together. “I am hoping you would be able to tell me what has plagued my brother recently”.

Tony shakes his head, lips twisting into an unhappy smirk. “No”, he chuckles, “I was actually going to ask you the same thing”. Thor exhales in a long breath. He raises a hand to rub across his face as he frowns, and Tony looks away as he throws his arm over the back of the couch, forcing the casualness of the action. “Have you talked to him?”

“He will only say that it is person, and that he is handling it”.

Snorting in disbelief, Tony’s fingers twitch, clutching at the fabric of his seat before he determinedly lets go. He isn’t irked about what’s going on with Loki, not at all. “If it’s personal with Loki, than I’m certainly not going to know anything. We aren’t exactly close”. Thor’s incredulous stare makes Tony shift uneasily. It’s not as if he’s lying at all; he and Loki aren’t close. Still, Tony can’t quite meet Thor’s gaze and instead looks resolutely to the side.

“I know that you have slept together, possibly many times”, Thor begins, speaking lowly, but Tony cuts him off.

“Just the once. Just… just that first night”. Thor looks taken aback, and Tony still can’t quite look at him. He does risk a quick glance to confirm that Thor isn’t going to beat him out of familial concern, but instead the blond man looks troubled. “It’s not from lack of interest on my part”, Tony tries to defend. “He wants nothing to do with me”.

There’s a long pause where Thor folds his hands together, staring down at them. His posture is slumped forward and pressed down, all his boisterous energy gone. It’s unsettling to see Thor looking anything less than cheerful, and it makes Tony feel like he needs to comfort the man, but he’s not sure how to do that. Thor doesn’t give him a chance.

“I had hoped that he would find a friend or companion in you”, Thor admits. “That is why I gave you his phone number, so that Loki might have someone he could rely upon. He tries to do everything on his own, and it is not good for him, but my brother refuses to see that”. A growl rips from Thor’s throat as the man throws himself back on the couch. Tony raises an eyebrow at that but doesn’t comment. “I just wish to help him”, Thor exclaims, still trying to keep quiet enough that the children won’t hear. “But he treats everything I do like some elaborate trap to prove him a poor father!”

“I know the feeling, big guy”, Tony states, nodding sympathetically. “But there isn’t much we can do without knowing what exactly is going on”. Tony sits up a bit straighter, though, when a thought comes to mind. “Have you tried asking Fenrir?”

Now Thor nods, still scowling. “He said that Loki has received multiple calls over the week that have left him in a foul mood, but that Loki takes those calls privately”.

Tony falls back, not wanting to admit defeat just yet. Thor is right that they can’t do anything to help unless Loki lets them, but maybe if he corners Loki, he can talk the younger man around. “I’ll give him a call this week, see if I can’t get him to open up a bit”, Tony offers, and Thor looks over at him with obvious relief. It’s not that either of them expect it to really work, but at least it’s something that they can do.

“Please let me know what happens”, Thor entreats, and Tony agrees in silence.

 

* * *

 

Tony tries to call Sunday night, but Loki’s phone goes straight to voicemail. The tight knot of worry in his stomach squeezes tighter, and the engineer can taste bile in the back of his throat. Something isn’t right, but what else can he do?

 

* * *

 

That tight ball of concern explodes, though, on Thursday afternoon, just as Ellie is getting back from school. She sitting in the penthouse kitchen, sipping on chocolate milk and regaling Tony with her adventures for the day when JARVIS interrupts.

“Sir, Mr. Ulfson is calling”.

Tony perks up immediately as Ellie falls silent, staring at him with wide eyes. “Put him on my cell”, he orders, pulling the phone from his pocket and immediately walking to another room. Ellie tries to protest, but Tony isn’t going to have a conversation about what’s troubling Loki in front of her. He settles into his study just as the cell starts to ring, and he presses talk, questions ready and queued for him to ask.

Loki begins immediately, though, speaking over any greeting Tony could have said. “I need you to pick Fenrir up immediately, and then watch him for a few days”. It’s a demand, spoken loudly and quickly into the phone. Tony can hear Loki nearly panting, and there’s some sort of commotion in the background, but he’s already grabbing the keys to one of his cars and heading out to the garage past a startled Ellie.

“Loki”, Tony says, but gets no response from the other end. “Loki!” He’s close to shouting as he starts up a car – the Porsche, he absently notes. “Loki, tell me what’s going on! Are you and Fenrir okay? Did something happen?”

“Just get here now, please”. Loki responds as if he hasn’t even heard Tony speaking, no longer demanding but pleading, and it brings a chill to Tony. He speeds up a little, then more, taking a more circuitous route to avoid the worst of traffic.

“I’m on my way, Loki, just hold on”, he tries to soothe, but it seems to have no effect, Loki still breathing heavily on the phone, not speaking anymore. “Are you okay, though? Are you or Fenrir hurt?”

“No”, Loki says, “no one is injured”. It might only be Tony’s stress, but it sounds like there is an unspoken “yet” at the end of that statement. He has no comfort to offer over the phone, though, so he focuses on driving and lets that hold his attention until he’s screeching to a stop in front of Loki’s apartment building. He leaves the car on the curb, throwing some random bills at the doorman coming to stop him before pushing his way in.

“I’m here, Loki. I’m on my way up right now”. The call goes dead in response, and Tony growls before punching the button to call the elevator, shifting from foot to foot with uncontained anxiety. He’s almost tempted to take the stairs despite that Loki lives on the twenty-third floor, but just as he is seriously thinking about it, the elevator arrives and he leaps in. The ride up to Loki’s floor makes Tony wish this was Stark Tower, where the elevators don’t take hours just to go up a few stories. When the elevator doors finally open to the right level, Tony doesn’t even need to exit as Loki and Fenrir are already in the small elevator lobby, waiting.

“Have fun with Mr. Stark, sæti”, Loki is saying to his son, shuffling the boy into the elevator with Tony. Tony barely has time to note that Fenrir’s carrying a backpack and duffel bag both stuffed full of things before Loki is hitting the button for the ground floor and stepping back. The doors start to close, but Tony gets his hand in quickly to stop them, leveling Loki with a suspicious glare.

“We’re going to talk about this”, he demands, and Loki looks like he wants to argue before hesitation sweeps over his features, and then he nods.

“Yes”, Loki agrees, “but not now”. Tony accedes, letting the doors slide shut and holding Loki’s anxious gaze all the while. He stares forward quietly until Fenrir shifts nervously at his side, and then Tony forces himself into a more cheerful disposition to ease the kid’s palpable distress.

He gets them both to the Tower on autopilot, and then to bed and school the next morning, letting his parental instincts have full control so that he doesn’t have to worry about Loki. He holds back on questions; he plays games and plays his part as a dad until it’s Sunday morning and there’s no word from Loki. Only then does he let himself worry, and finally he sits down with Fenrir to see if there is something he can do.

 

* * *

 

 

It started, Fenrir says to Tony as Ellie is a room away in the kitchen preparing snacks, with the phone calls almost two weeks earlier. “Papi got the first one, and he looked so scared, like when he found me after I got lost in the mall”, the boy explains. “Then he got really angry, and that’s how he was when he kept getting them. He would go in the other room, but I could still hear him saying angry things”.

Tony stays silent, trying to look encouraging without making this into an interrogation. Fenrir looks to him, perhaps searching for reassurance, because when Tony nods, he keeps speaking.

“It was scary, but I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want Papi to think I was listening when I wasn’t supposed to”. Fenrir shifts in his seat, peaking up at Tony before staring at his lap again. “Then a lady showed up outside my school on Thursday. She tried to talk to me, asking me questions, but Papi showed up and yelled at her in his first language. I didn’t know all the words, but some of them were bad ones that Uncle Thor says sometimes. The lady went away, but Papi was still afraid; that’s why he called you, Mr. Stark”.

Tony sighs, hiding his face behind his hands as his mind whirls. What the hell had Loki gotten mixed up with if someone was actually going to go after Fenrir? No wonder he had called for Tony to take the boy away; there is no place safer in New York than Stark Tower. There are only questions, though, and Loki isn’t around to provide immediate answers, so Tony just thanks Fenrir with a smile. He guides the boy into the kitchen, hoping Ellie and food will enough of a distraction for now as he tries to get a hold on Loki and figure out what the hell to do now.


	2. Not Happening

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So you all wanted to hear about Loki's sordid past, right?

It’s near to midnight that Sunday before Tony hears anything from Loki. He’s been calling the man’s cell phone all day, but there was never an answer, and Tony only left one voice message. When the day had started to tick by with no response, Tony even tried to contact Thor, but Jane had answered and said Thor was out of the country visiting family in Iceland. There was nothing Jane could do either, so Tony didn’t even tell her what was going on, just playing it off as a call to ask Thor a banal question. Jane probably didn’t buy it, but she let it go, and Tony was on his own again.

Three days have passed, though, and Tony doesn’t care to sit around and fret. He should be doing something, helping Loki somehow, and as the night starts to slip by, Tony contemplates driving back over to Loki’s apartment. He doesn’t want to leave the kids, so he stays, pacing around the penthouse living room in agitation. There’s a glass of scotch in his hand, but though he’s knocked one or two back already, he’s far from drunk. He doesn’t want to be too wasted if either Loki or the kids need him.

Finally, though, JARVIS alerts him to Loki entering the lobby, and Tony sets aside his drink. He waits, forcing himself to stand stiffly before the elevator doors in barely contained impatience. When they finally open, it’s to a pale waif of a man, skin looking sickly white in the dimmed lights of the penthouse and bruises under his eyes that make Tony’s stomach clench. Loki doesn’t say a word, walking with shaky determination past the engineer and over to the bar. He takes Tony’s discarded drink and finishes it without blinking before Tony can even think to say something. When Loki reaches for the decanter of scotch, though, Tony steps forward quickly and seizes Loki’s wrist.

“You can get as drunk as you want in an hour, but first you owe me some answers”, he demands, tugging hard on Loki’s arm until the man meets his eyes. Loki looks exhausted, eyes reddened and dull. There is a dangerous looking flush on his cheeks despite how pale the rest of him is. Loki’s hair is in disarray too, as if he were out running and hadn’t bothered to comb it after.

Still, the order triggers some deep-seated hatred of authority, because Loki manages up a weak tug on his wrist, though it’s not enough to make Tony let go. “I owe you nothing, Stark”, he spits even as he sways from the alcohol hitting his system. Tony’s best guess is that he hasn’t eaten all day or longer, and that little bit of scotch is going to be enough to wipe him out.

“Really?” Tony retorts. “Most people would say that when you send me scrambling to pick up your kid and watch him for days, than I deserve an explanation”. Loki snorts, but instead of answering, he closes his eyes and shakes his head. “Loki, tell me so I can help you”, Tony entreats, but that only earns an even more aggressive response.

Loki pulls his hand away from Tony entirely, using enough force that he staggers back into the bar. His eyes have flown open, glassy and flaring wildly as he laughs. It’s a manic sound, grating on Tony’s ears enough that he steps forward to just stop him, offer comfort or something, but Loki pushes away again in some kind of wicked dance.

“Help me?” he exclaims. “Why would the great Tony Stark bother to help me?” His laughter kicks up louder, and Tony winces, hoping the kids don’t wake up now. Loki doesn’t seem to notice or care, his entire focus fixed onto Tony like he’s watching an approaching predator. “Do you seek to keep a playmate for your precious little princess, a pet for your daughter?”

“Don’t you even dare”, Tony growls as his anger flares sharply. He’s too tired from weeks of constant concern to deal with Loki’s bullshit self-pity now, especially if he’s going to be dragging Ellie and Fenrir into it. Instead, Tony lunges forward, pinning Loki bodily against the bar and grabbing at the man’s button-down shirt. “You know that’s not true, you fucking asshole”, he snarls. Loki seems unimpressed, but makes no attempt to move as Tony pushes him until he’s nearly flat along the bar top. “I care about your bastard ass for a lot more reasons than who you’ve spawned. God knows why, but I do! And I care about Fenrir, too, not just because of Ellie but because he’s a good kid and he deserves it”.

Forcing himself to take a deep breath, Tony lets his ranting trail off. It’s not helping anything to yell now, and Loki still doesn’t seem to get it. He’s resolutely staring at the ceiling, refusing to meet Tony’s stare despite how close they have gotten. Loki’s hands hang limply at his side in contrast to how Tony’s fists clench tightly in the cotton of Loki’s shirt. There’s nothing from the man beneath him, no response, and it’s enough to drive Tony to violence. He chooses a different route, slotting his lips tightly against Loki’s and kissing him like there’s nothing else that matters.

Loki’s body is loosely pliant from drink and exhaustion beneath Tony, accepting as he presses them closely from hips up. There is comfort there, and Tony leans into it, chasing that relief with his body and tongue, slipping past Loki’s unresisting lips. Loki is slow to respond, following the movement of Tony’s head as he slots their lips tightly together, but his hands come up to rest on the small of Tony’s back, not pushing or grabbing but still there.

Tony keeps the kiss slow, keeping out any aggravation or desperation he might feel. His lips stay soft and move in supple rhythms; his body is relaxed even as he bends over Loki. He isn’t holding him down anymore, just lying there together, and Loki allows it. He doesn’t struggle away from the dark burn of scotch on Tony’s tongue, or the caging heat that lies over and around him. Loki welcomes it all, even as his throat is tight and repressed tears make their escape down his face.

It’s a long moment before Tony finally pulls away, though he doesn’t go very far, just enough to meet Loki’s teary eyes. He doesn’t comment on them, or on the tremors that rattle through Loki’s body, beyond wiping a tear away with his thumb. “I do care about you, you stupid son of a bitch”, Tony intones roughly, voice deep and raspy. “And I want to help, so let me”.

Loki takes a deep, shaking breath, but never looks away from Tony’s eyes. His agreement is silent, a slight dip of his chin and a choked exhale, but Tony takes it for what it is. He follows the pressure of Loki’s hands, stepping back and helping Loki to stand on his own, holding to the taller man’s arms until Loki sits down on a bar stool. Tony lets him go and takes the seat next to him, body angled towards Loki. Loki doesn’t look up, staring down at the marble counter-top where his fingers are idly splayed, but he does finally begin to explain.

“I was seventeen when Fenrir was born”. Loki’s voice is tremulous and soft, but in the quiet of the penthouse, Tony doesn’t need to strain to hear. “The girl I was with – his mother – she was a drug user, one of the outcasts at our school, and that’s why I was with her at all”.

Tony chuckles to himself, startling Loki into looking up. “I know how that goes. Looking to piss off the parents?”

“Just one of them”, Loki admits with a hesitant smirk. “She was fun, and while I didn’t need the drugs, they could be fun too”. Loki’s hand has curled into a fist against the bar, but he forcibly lays it flat and takes another long breath. “We must have gotten high and forgotten to use a condom, or maybe it broke, or something… But we never knew, not until Svala had these terrible pains out of nowhere. I wasn’t high then, but I knew better than to go to the hospital if it could be avoided. There was a woman, a former nurse and midwife who sometimes patched up the junkies in that area, so I took her there”.

Loki leans forward, hair falling into his face and hiding his eyes. He has one arm pressed across his lap, but before he can move the other to join it, Tony lays his hand across Loki’s. It’s meant to just be a brief comfort, a gentle reminder that someone is there for him, but Loki takes it like a life-line and holds on. Tony squeezes his hand back and lets it go without a word.

“I didn’t know what was happening”, the younger man admits. “They kept me out of the room, though there was screaming, and I didn’t know what to do. I- I just stood there until everything went quiet, and then the woman came out with this bunch of blankets in her arms and handed them to me”. Loki’s grip tightens suddenly. “It was a baby, and I just stood there staring at this infant until the woman told me he needed to be taken to a hospital for he was too small. I was going to go immediately, but Svala was still screaming, only it was about how much she didn’t want this. She said I was – _he_ was ruining her life – and that we should just get rid of it, but I couldn’t just – I couldn’t do it”.

Looking up through lanky black hair, Loki’s eyes are pleading, and Tony can’t look away. “What else could I have done? So I just left with this baby, and I called Thor and he came and brought us to the hospital without saying a thing. I didn’t – I couldn’t tell them who Svala was, so they tried to take him away, but he was my son. I fought to get him back, despite what my father wanted, and a month later I came home with Fenrir, my son. That very same day, I discovered I was adopted and lied to my entire life, and that if I chose to keep Fenrir, I would be disowned. I was gone from that house by the end of the week, and soon came to America with the help of some friends”.

“So that woman”, Tony asks when Loki trails off into silence, “she was Fenrir’s mother?” Loki nods, looking defeated. “She wants in”. That isn’t a question; it’s easy to see from how Loki has been panicking and stressed.

“I don’t want her here, not when we have been doing so well on our own, Fenrir and I. Svala promises she has changed, but I don’t believe her”. Loki gasps, bringing Tony’s hand up to press against his temple as he closes his eyes. “If I don’t let her, though, she has threatened to go to court, and she can win. She can _take him from me_ ”.

“She won’t”, Tony immediately reassures, but Loki shakes his head. So Tony hooks one of his feet around the leg of Loki’s bar-stool, pulling until they’re close enough that he can sweep Loki up into a hug. Loki presses his head into the crook of Tony’s neck, and Tony rubs his back as the man starts to sob. “She’s a former junkie, Loki, who hasn’t ever even met Fenrir, and you’re his dad. You’ve raised him, there’s no way they’ll let her take him away”. Loki’s hands fist in Tony’s shirt, pulling him closer, and Tony complies. “Besides, you’ve got me, and Thor and Jane, and we won’t ever let her do that. I won’t let her, Loki”.

There isn’t anything left to say after that; Tony just lets Loki take the comfort as he will and holds him until the sobbing stops. Loki ends up nearly collapsing on Tony, falling asleep from everything that’s happened, so Tony does his best to drag Loki over to the couch. They make it there well enough, and Tony gets the unconscious Loki stretched out more comfortably before pulling a blanket over him. He briefly entertains the thought of heading to his room, but the couch looks far more inviting at the moment. He takes the far end across from Loki, falling asleep with their feet tangling in the middle.

 

* * *

 

The next morning sees Tony waking up with Loki still asleep across from him. Ellie and Fenrir were in the kitchen, making themselves a JARVIS approved breakfast, so Tony gets up to make sure they get off to school. Fenrir keeps shooting glances at the couch where his father is sleeping, obviously worried, and Ellie is too.

“He’s just been a bit sick, you two, so let the man sleep”, Tony says, coughing to clear his throat when it comes out sounding like he’s been gargling gravel. “He’ll be back up on his feet by the time you’re out of school”. Ellie nods, going back to her cereal, but Fenrir keeps his eyes trained on the couch.

“What about the lady?” he asks quietly. Tony sets a hand on the boy’s shoulder, smiling as comfortingly as he can.

“She won’t bother you any more, Fen. I’ll take care of it”. Fenrir nods, willing to trust in Tony’s authority, and he finally starts to eat. Tony sets about making lunches for the both of them, sometimes looking over to where Loki sleeps on, but not bothering to wake the man even after both the kids have left.

 

* * *

 

“JARVIS, I want you to pull up the video footage from outside the school Thursday afternoon. I want a picture of this Svala”, Tony says, locking the door to his study behind him. Loki’s still sleeping on the couch, even though it’s been over nine hours since they fell asleep. If Loki hadn’t slept over the past couple days, though, he needs the extra time, and Tony’s going to take advantage of it.

“Of course, sir”, the AI replies, and a moment later, an image springs up on the tablet that Tony had left on his desk. He takes it, silently studying the thin, well-dressed woman that the photograph shows. He doesn’t like what he sees, gaze sharpening as he scowls.

“I want to know everything about her from when she was conceived to where she is at this exact moment”, he demands, letting the tablet fall back onto the desk. “Also, put through a call to that secret government nanny who owes me a favor”.

“Contacting Agent Coulson, sir, and loading all information on Svala Önnudóttir to your tablet”.

Tony sat down heavily in his desk chair, tapping his fingers against the casing of his tablet as the phone line began to ring. He had quite a lot to accomplish before the school day was over, but hopefully his good friend in that classified government agency could help do some of the heavy lifting while Tony took care of other things. Then the line clicked on, and Tony grinned as a bored voice said, “Mr. Stark, how can I help you now?”

“Coulson, just who I need!” Tony greets cheerfully. “Do you think you can route some secure money transfers for me without the IRS ever taking a peak at them?”

There’s a sigh over the phone, and Tony’s grin turns wicked. “It’ll get done”, Coulson says, and then the man hangs up.

“Perfect”, Tony purrs to the air, picking up his tablet and starting to work. “Let’s get this over with, then”.

 

* * *

 

“This is not a call I would have expected, Herra Stark”, a voice intones, heavy with an Icelandic accent, and Tony looks up from his expensive coffee to take in the woman joining him in this private club. She’s just as the photo shows, only now Tony can identify exactly what so bothered him in the picture. Svala wears nice clothes, her hair pulled back neatly, but the clothes are all mismatched pieces and ill-fitting. The gauntness of her face and the bags under her eyes are poorly concealed by make-up, and Tony’s sure that if he pushed up the sleeve of her blouse, there would be recent track marks there to tell him exactly why. “Nor is this a place I would find myself frequenting”.

Tony just gestures to the other seat at his table where a hot coffee sits waiting. She sits politely and slowly, still trying to subtly eye the room where they sit, and Tony doesn’t blame her. This club is nameless, by invitation only, and they are currently sequestered alone in the VIP section, where a mirrored glass panel allows them a view of the wild and discreet party occurring below their balcony seating. Their own room is almost black it’s so dimly lit, but Tony likes the anonymity of it, and how it seems to unsettle the woman sitting across from him.

“I’m sure it isn’t, Miss Önnudóttir, but I’m also sure you can understand my desire to keep this out of the papers”. Tony grins wolfishly when Svala’s attention finally turns to him, but she doesn’t immediately back down like most members of his board would. She doesn’t know better, yet.

“No, I do not understand what it is you have called me here for, or why you would choose to be so secretive”, she challenges, and Tony laughs a little cruelly in the silent room.

“Well, my life does tend to make the news fairly often, but you’re well aware of that”. He sets his tablet on the table between them, bringing up an image from a celebrity news site. “After all, that is how you tracked down Loki and Fenrir Ulfson, isn’t it?”

Svala glances at the picture, taking it in like she’s never seen it before, but Tony has no doubt that she knows exactly what it is. It can’t be a coincidence that she would appear only a month after pictures hit the news of Tony exiting a fancy restaurant with Loki, the younger man’s face clearly depicted in this particular one.

“I can’t say that I have ever seen this image before, Herra Stark”, she defends, looking straight at Tony like that’s all it will take to sell him. “However, it is good to see him and my son looking well”.

“Not your son”, Tony rumbles, the smile dropping straight off his face. “You have had nothing to do with either of them for years now, and I don’t buy that you’ve suddenly had a change of heart and want to play the good wife and mother”.

“You don’t have to believe it”, Svala begins, her own voice rising, but Tony cuts her off.

“They don’t need you or want you, and I won’t have you – not when all you’re looking for is a way to pay for your next fix!” They both fall silent then, Tony attempting to reign in his anger, and Svala looking both guilty and offended. “You think Loki has an in with me, and that you can use that to get money to feed the drug habit we both know you still have”, he states roughly, glaring at the stricken woman. “So I’m here to offer you a deal and cut out the middle man. Leave Loki and Fenrir alone, and I give you the money”.

Svala cocks an eyebrow, and for a second, Tony can see how she and Loki would have worked, but then again, he really doesn’t care. “Are you trying to pay me to stay away from my family?” she questions, and Tony smirks.

“They aren’t your family, but yeah, that’s pretty much it”. The woman doesn’t immediately respond, and Tony’s smirk grows now that he’s caught her interest. “There is an off-shore bank account in your name with one million dollars sitting in it. If you take the deal, I give you the information and you stay out of my country and away from Loki. If you keep up your end of the deal for one year, there will be another million sitting in there, and then another each year after”.

Showman that he is, Tony can’t resist dragging up the numbers on the tablet, watching Svala’s eyes widen as the numbers just keep getting higher. He wants to laugh, but suppresses it as he shuts the tablet down. “Of course, if you are really just here for Fenrir and Loki, far be it from my place to interfere. I would never get between a loving mother and her child”.

Svala is frowning, eyes flicking between the darkened tablet and Tony’s mocking grin before she regains some composure and leans back in her seat. Her arms folded across her chest, Svala looks like she could be a middle-class business woman, and Tony’s never met a business owner he couldn’t sell. “If I did choose to leave”, she starts, trailing off so Tony steps in.

“You’ll get an email with the account information the moment you are out of the country”, he assures her. “The only rule is that you stay away”.

“Yes”, Svala returns dismissively. “I stay away or I don’t get more money”.

“No”, is Tony’s sharp reply, glaring at her as he collects his tablet. “You stay away or some very nasty friends of mine get involved and show you the error of your ways. The money is just an extra incentive for good behavior”. Svala stares, shocked, but Tony stands grinning again and offering his hand. Svala takes it, sill looking overwhelmed, but Tony pulls her to her feet anyway. “So good to do business with you, Miss Önnudóttir. Let’s never do this again”.

Svala nods hesitantly, but then walks past Tony like she’s come out the winner of this meeting. Tony really laughs as soon as the door closes behind her, fingers drumming against his chest. She’s missing out on a lot, but Tony isn’t going to inform her. He only hopes that she’s at least smart enough to take his message to heart – she better not get near the people he cares about.

 

* * *

 

Tony’s little meeting finishes with enough time to swing by and pick up the kids after school, so he does, calling Happy on the way to let him know that Tony has them. Fenrir and Ellie pile into the car almost as soon as Tony pulls up, both of them smiling, though Fenrir looks tired. It makes Tony that much happier that he’s gotten everything taken care of, if only to ease Fenrir’s anxiety.

When Fenrir takes a good look around the car, though, his smile falls. “Is Papi still sick?” he asks in a quiet voice, wide-eyes turned to Tony.

Luckily, JARVIS takes the question, because Tony has no idea what Loki actually is doing. “Mr. Ulfson is awake and awaiting your arrival in the penthouse”, the AI informs Fenrir, and the boy perks up immediately, sitting back in his seat with a smile. Tony’s lips quirks up into a small smile too, and he is just as happy as Fenrir to get out of the car and run into the private elevator. The three of them are all laughing in excitement when the doors finally open to the penthouse, and a much healthier Loki is sitting on the couch.

Tony is pretty sure he’s grinning like an idiot as the kids run over to Loki, Fenrir launching himself onto his father’s lap, but it seems appropriate. The two of them together look so happy, Fenrir ecstatic to see his father again, and Loki smiling and looking relieved. Ellie is excitedly telling Loki off for having them worried, channeling her inner Pepper to give Loki the dressing down he deserves, and Tony laughs as Loki does. It’s… nice, he thinks, and he sits down on the couch, content to just watch Loki and the kids play.

…

To watch Loki, who is clean and showered and _wearing Tony’s clothes_ , and that just wipes the grin right off of his face, replacing it with an open-mouthed look that’s more than a little dumbstruck. Then Loki catches his eye, and there’s a little smirk there just for Tony to see, and oh, Loki’s going to be spending the night again, just to make sure everything is alright. After all, it’s about time that they had another private chat, and what a better time than immediately.


End file.
